How to Register Microsoft Account ID and Use All Microsoft Features

Windows 8 is coming to lots of PCs this fall. Now main Microsoft services including: Windows Store, Music, SkyDrive, Messaging, People (contacts) are hooked up to your Microsoft Account ID. Since Microsoft recommends downloading software, apps and games for Windows 8 OS from the official Windows Store, it’s time to create a new Microsoft Account ID or restore an old one, if you registered it one day.

What’s Microsoft Account ID?

Microsoft decided to facilitate access to its services and create one entrance key for all of them, so you can use one login and password for all of them. Previously, there were: Windows Live ID, Hotmail ID, SkyDrive ID, Office 365 ID, Windows Phone ID, Xbox Live ID, now there’s only one ID called “Microsoft Account ID”. This ID you should use to sign in any Microsoft service. If you already have one of these IDs you don’t need to create a new Microsoft Account ID, just use the current ID in Windows 8.

This approach is well-known for Google users. For example, you can sign in to YouTube, Gmail, Google+, Google Drive, or Android with one login and password. It’s really convenient for saving our memory space.

How to register a Microsoft Account ID?

Step 1. Go directly to www.live.com and click the link at the bottom of the sign-in form.

Note: you’ll use this email address and password even to login in to Outlook.com (Hotmail). Make sure that this email works.

Step 3. Alternatively, select the second option at live.com and create a new email especially for Microsoft account. Then, you’ll have to complete a longer form.

There is one more way to register Microsoft ID. Go through these steps upon Windows 8 installation or upgrade from Windows 7. The installation wizard will guide through the whole process which is similar to the described above.

How to update info of your Microsoft Account ID?

If you plan to use your existing Windows Live, SkyDrive or Xbox ID as your pass, you can always refresh the info about you. Surely, you can cancel any existing account and sign up for a new Microsoft account ID at any time.
In order to update the Microsoft Account info:

1. Log-in to Live/Outlook account.

2. Click on your name in the upper right corner.

3. Select the “Account settings” link

At account settings page you will be able to update: personal info, password, attach your cell phone number and second email for security purposes, adjust alert settings, permissions, billing, etc.

How to attach a credit card to Microsoft Account?

You can always create Microsoft account without credit card. A credit card is NOT an obligatory condition. But if you plan to purchase software at Windows Store or games for Xbox, you should add a billing method to your account (a credit card or PayPal).

Go to the “Account settings” tab as shown above.

Click the “Billing” tab and check your email for the confirmation code.

Enter the received confirmation code.

Open “Payment Options” tab and click “Add a payment method” button.

Enter your info and save changes.

If you have any issues with creating Microsoft ID or updating payment information, please visit support.microsoft.com. Or go ahead and call or chat with a Microsoft customer support representative. You can find contact information for your location at support.microsoft.com/ContactUs

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